PHNOM PENH — Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL) and Chairman of the Muslim Scholars Association Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa has visited Cambodia within the framework of MWL's mission to promote coexistence and tolerance among societies. He was given an official invitation from the Cambodian side.

During the first days of the visit, Dr. Al-Issa held a series of meetings with government and parliamentary figures. He was received by the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, at the government headquarters in the capital, Phnom Penh.

The secretary-general expressed his appreciation for the distinguished Cambodian national model in its coexistence and the harmony of its societal diversity, especially its embrace of its Islamic national component and its full empowerment of its religious privacy and national rights.

The prime minister highlighted the distinctiveness of the Islamic component in Cambodia and its complete harmony with the diverse components of the Cambodian society reflecting an image of cohesion and affection that reflects the level of religious and national awareness among all segments.

He stressed in this context the great appreciation and respect for the religious privacy of the Islamic component, its freedom to practice its rituals, and his country’s keenness to enable the Muslim community per the country's constitution and laws.

Dr. Al-Issa also met with the Cambodian Senior Minister Dr. Othman Hassan, who described Al-Issa’s visit as “historic” while stressing that the visit was received with great interest from all the Cambodian people, and the Islamic section in particular, due to important meetings and points of discussion on its agenda.

Dr. Al-Issa also visited the Cambodian Parliament, at its headquarters in Phnom Penh, where he met with President Heng Samrin and members of Parliament.

The House Speaker commended MWL’s global and “pivotal” role in promoting harmony among national societies, stressing that the Cambodian Islamic segment enjoys freedom and affection with the rest of the national components and that for Cambodia, this constitutional value represents a constant and national priority.

The Speaker stressed the Cambodian government's keenness to empower Muslims in Cambodia socially and economically to have an effective representation in the government, as well as its keenness on their religious rights and freedoms and the practice of their rituals.

The secretary-general was also hosted by the Cambodian Senate, where he held meetings with the Senate Chairman Say Chhum, and several members of the Senate, in the presence of the chairman of the Senate’s education, religions, culture and tourism committee, the chairman of the Senate’s Investigation, Monitoring and Anti-Corruption Committee, and the senior minister of Islamic Affairs.

The chairman of the Senate affirmed Cambodia's pride in its Muslim community component, and its keenness to secure their rights without discrimination, thanking MWL for standing and supporting the Cambodian people during times of crisis without discrimination, in relief, health and education.

In the same context, Dr. Al-Issa met at the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn.

The Cambodian foreign minister described the visit as "very important", expressing his deep appreciation for the interest and great efforts of MWL in confronting extremism and hatred, and its keenness to build bridges between followers of different faiths and cultures to promote the values of tolerance and coexistence.

For his part, Dr. Al-Issa stressed that the visit emanates from the great appreciation for Cambodia, and for its outstanding model of coexistence and peace, as it overcame its past painful challenges with a sincere national will that reflects the true and sincere awareness of the Cambodian people.

The visit also included a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, where the two sides discussed several topics of common interest, focusing on issues of societal peace, stressing the great importance of the contribution of religious and community leaders to strengthening national and international security.

The Cambodian minister said “we count on this communication carried out by the Muslim World League with its project calling for the peace of diverse societies religiously, ethnically, and culturally through practical and successful methods of understanding.”

He stressed that this project builds societies and stimulates them towards development and growth and eradicates deviant or criminal ideologies through the will of a conscious society in the face of those thoughts that threaten peace and stability. — SPA